1 Thing Never Changes
by Alice Of Her Own Wonderland
Summary: Every one has moved out, now Max is the only one. He hates change but things are moving on with out him anyway. Many things happen at once but what will be the biggest thing to change Max? max/oc max is a little out of character in some parts
1. Rocky Racoon

"Die! Die! AHHHH!" Max yelled when he woke up.

His nightmares from the war were getting worse and worse as the summer went on.

He felt so alone in the empty apartment since Sadie and JoJo left with the band, Prudence moved in with Rita across town and

Jude and Lucy got real jobs and a real apartment. Max was the only one who didn't want to change. He hated change. There

was just to much of it before. Him moving to New York, then Lucy coming, then Jude and Lucy going together, being taken into

the war where there was to much change to handle, then coming back to find everything had changed here too. The only

change max had done since then is shave his moustache.

Jude had gotten a job at a sign place where he designed signs for other stores or companies. He still made art on the side

and sold them to different people or places. Lucy got a job for a secretary for a small business. Prudence got a job at a

clothing company designing and making clothes. Rita opened a restaurant and was doing pretty good.

Max only had his small part time taxi job that barely paid the rent and kept him fed. Every weekend it would be a different girl

for a 1 night stand.

Max got up and went into the kitchen to get some food. He had to get groceries because all he had left was bread, cereal and

butter. No milk though.

He walked into Lucy's old room and sat where Prudence once had been wishing to have Sadie.

It was a beautiful, day but through max's eyes all he saw was crowded side walks with the sun beating down on him. Yet he

decided to get out of the house (He had had a late shift that night with the cab)and go for a walk to Jude and Lucy's house. It

was a farely long walk but max tried to walk in the shade.

He was walking by the library when a girl came running out, her arms full of books and papers. Max didn't see her and she ran

into him.

"Ooops! Sorry" she said

"It's okay" He said picking books up. He went to give her a book when he noticed that she was quite pretty.

"Thanks" She said, grabbing the books from him.

"In a hurry?" Max said jokingly

"Yeah actually, I got an appointment with a racoon in about half an hour, so I have to hurry "

"Racoon?" max said wondering what the hell she was talking about.

"Yeah, I'm a veterinarian, and this poor little racoon named Rockey has a broken paw and I have to help him. Problem id I

don't know shit about racoons so I got books on them" She said as she held up the book.

"Oh, well good luck with that" Max replied.

"Yeah, thanks" She said and jogged away.


	2. No Reply

After his run in with the girl, max was oddly happier then he was before. He knew there was something about her.

When max got to Jude and Lucy's he stood at their apartment door for a few minutes just knocking calling their names. There

was no reply.

Max walked in and he was glad he did because once he did he remembered that Jude and Lucy had cable and FOOD!

When Lucy walked in the T.V. was on and there were crumbs everywhere. She stood there amazed at how someone could

make so much mess.

The toilet flushed. Lucy saw Max walk out of the bathroom after he didn't wash his hands and was wiping them on his shirt.

"Hey sis." He said in a friendly voice.

"Hey, now I try to keep this place neat, so could you pleas at least wash your hands!" She complained to him.

"Yeah. Yeah fine." Max replied while walking back into the bathroom. "So where have you been?" He asked as he was

soaping.

"Work Max, you know some of us actually have real jobs. Not just part time taxi jobs, Max" She said sitting down. Max sat

beside her on the couch.

"You know if it weren't for the 5 T.V. channels and the food I wouldn't come here. All you guys do is nag. 'Get a job! Clean up!

Bla Bla Bla!'" He said in an annoying voice."I thought quitting smoking would be good enough!" Max whined.

"You only quit smoking pot and cigarettes because it was making you depressed and have worse hallucinations, not for us or

anyone else. Speaking of which, when are you going to get a real girlfriend?" Lucy asked jokingly.

UGH!! See again with the nagging! When's Jude coming home!?

"Any minute, hopefully." Lucy said looking back at the clock.

A few minutes later the door opened. It was Jude.

"Lucy, I know it was my turn to cook but I didn't feel like it. So I bought Chinese."

Max walked into the kitchen. "Enough for 3?" he asked sarcastically.

"MAX! Hey, how have you been?!" Jude yelled.

"Pretty good, pretty good! Haven't seen you in a while" Max replied.

"Yeah, I've ...Uh...Been busy."Jude said quietly looking down.

"But seriously, is there enough for 3?" Max said.

"Uh, I guess we'll see" Jude said smiling.

So the 3 of them ate lunch together and chatted while doing so. After Max said thanks and left for home


	3. Not A Second Time

As Max walked home he looked and really noticed everything around him. He saw the birds sing but actually heard the

rhythm. He saw the kids play but actually heard them laugh. But mostly he the people on the street but actually heard their

everyday complaints, arguments or just conversations. It made him feel normal or at least like he had a normal life, like he

had somehow been a part of all the things he heard.

Max was walking past Molly's Pet Grooming, Supplies and Veterinary Clinic (Or Molly's for short). Max wasn't paying attention

though and the girl from that morning ran out of Molly's and once again ,not watching where she was going, ran into max.

"Whoa" She said stumbling, while her bag and papers went flying."Not again, sorry, I'm really sorry" She said still not looking

at his face. "Oh! Hello!..., once again I'm sorry. I'm very clumsy" She replied giggling.

"I can see that" He said, handing her some papers as she got her bag.

"In a hurry again?" Max asked

"Yeah, a little, but no to go somewhere, more to get away from here." She exclaimed.

"Why? Did something go wrong with the racoon?"

"No, he's fine. It was just so bloody and before we knocked him out he just looked so scared"

"Oh" He replied.

"Yeah"

It got silent

"Sooo..."he said as they walked. "What's your name?"

"Oh yeah, Alice, I'm Alice" She said

"Max" He said smiling and shook her hand.

"Well Max, where are we walking" She asked sarcastically.

"Hmmm...where ever you want to go. I have no where to be"

"Okay. Well right now it's 3:22 and I have my little nieces birthday party at 8 so I guess im going home and cleaning"

"Hmmm..."Max thought - this is a total stranger so I guess I shouldn't invite myself right into their home - "well I guess I

should do the same. My apartment is a pigsty and you have inspired me to clean. Which is a first so I guess I should seize the

moment" Max said which made her laugh. Her laugh made him feel warm.

"Well, if you want to you can come to the party. I know it's for my little niece but that's only more reason to keep me

company. So if you'd like it's 9 Penny Lane. Oh! And come at 8:30"

"Why 8:30 if it starts at 8?" Max asked.

"Well that will be a surprise" Alice said smiling."Oh! And come through the back yard!"

"Okay. Would you like some company walking, because I live quite a bit of blocks that way." Max said pointing North up the

street.

"That's good because I live up that way too but a few blocks to the left. And yes please come." She said smiling.

They walked and chatted about all sorts of different things. Unlike before though Max hardly even noticed the things around

him. Instead all of his focus was on Alice.

He noticed her smile. He noticed that when they weren't talking she would be humming a familiar song that he couldn't quite

name and she would be walking to that songs beat. He would notice what she would laugh at and what she wouldn't like.

He was so focused on her that he almost forgot where his apartment was. He walked past it but then remembered.

"Which one's yours?" Alice asked.

"Oh, the one on the top" Max replied.

He said goodbye and went inside. And to Max's surprise he actually cleaned. He didn't do the scrubbing or anything but it did

look a lot better when he was done.


	4. I Don't Want To Spoil The Party

It was 7:45. Max had slept since 5ish to now. He was still tired because he probably hasn't done so much work in a while.

Plus he had a night shift before, so it was a long night of driving drunk people, tired from dancing and partying which was

what he wanted to be doing. Max got up and looked outside. The sun had just started to set. He thought about everything

that had happened today. He debated with himself for a while weather to go to the party or not but the final word was to go.

So Max had a shower and put on the only clean clothes he could find which were luckily farely decent. And then headed out.

Since Max's job was a cab driver so he knew where Penny Lane was. It was 8:15 by the time he got there. It was farely small

but looked nice. It was familiar to Max, like he had been there before but not for long.

Max heard laughing and chatting. He remembered what Alice had said and went through the backyard gate.

When Max walked into the yard he saw a lot of people. He gazed around for Alice but didn't see her.

"You showed up!" Max turned around and saw Alice.

She was wearing a pretty all white dress, which looked wonderful on her. The sun setting behind the clouds made her light

brown hair glow.

"You look amazing" Max said stunned.

"Well thank-you" Alice replied smiling but a bit embarrassed. "Here, I want you to meet my sister"

"Alright" Max said nervous

They walked over to a women Max found oddly familiar. He thought and thought about where he could have seen her. As

soon as he heard her voice he remembered.

"Hey"She said calmly. "You must be Max. I've heard all about you and I must say I feel like we've met before"

'Oh my god!!' Thought Max 'SHE WS A 1 NIGHT STAND I'VE HAD!!' He freaked out inside.

"Max, This is my sister, Maggie. Have you two met before?" Alice asked curiously.

"Umm...No...I don't think so" Max said quickly trying to keep it cool.

"Are you sure?" Maggie asked.

"Uh, yah, pretty sure" He reassured her.

"Well now it's time to meet the Birthday Girl!" Alice exclaimed looking around cheerfully. "Oh! There she is!" She yelled

pointing to a little girl among little kids.

Alice pulled Max over to the little girl.

"Hey Valerie, this is Max. He's my friend I told you all about today. Remember?" Alice asked Valerie. Max was still a little

shocked from before, nut was starting to ease down.

"Yeah. I remember. Although you've probably heard a lot about me," She said towards Alice. "I haven't heard to much about

you. But thank you for coming" Valerie said politely

"Well Happy Birthday! And how old are you today?"

"9"

"9?! Wow, you seem very mature for your age." Max said amazed.

"Yeah well thank you" She replied.

"Oh!" Alice yelled. "I want you to meet one more person"Alice pulled Max back over to where most of the adults were but this

time going deeper in. Around the doors to the inside of the house, sat a guy at a table who looked like Max's and Alice's age,

farely cute, drinking a pop.

"Max, this is Billy, my boyfriend"

Right at that moment Max couldn't stand to be there. He didn't know why. It wasn't like he was trying to be Alice's boyfriend

of even trying to sleep with her. For some reason he came and now he just wants to leave.

"Ni...Ni...Nice to meet you" Max said as contenly as he could. "Uh...so what's the big surprise?" He tried to change the subject.

"OH! YAH! You'll love it! It's fireworks!" Alice exclaimed.

It was quiet for a bit.

I really don't want to be here!' Max thought. 'I just want to go home and go to bed! I wish I didn't come! I could have been at

the club right now trying to get a girl to come home with me, But No! I had to come here instead! IT'S NOT LIKE I EVEN LIKE

HER!...Do I?...Well whatever the hell I feel, I know I don't want to feel it here. I have to think of an excuse to leave.'

The fireworks started to go off.

"Oh Shit! I just remembered. I have to feed my friends dog!" He lied. "He's on holiday and he told me I had to feed and walk

his dog while he's gone. So I gotta go. But I'll talk to yo some other time."

"Okay, I'll see you" Alice said a little sad.

"Nice to meet you" Said Billy.

Max left and walked home thinking about everything that had happened through out the whole day. It was the most insane

day he'd had in a while.

Max went home and went STRAIGHT to bed.


	5. Drive My Car

Max got up the next morning and went to work. He tried as hard as he could to not think about Alice or anything that had

happened last night. He just picked up people, made small talk and dropped them off. Easy. But one of the last people he

wanted to see got in his cab. Alice. Its not like he didn't like her or was angry at her. He just didn't want to see her until he

could figure things out.

"Hey, um Molly's Pet Clinic, please." Alice said unaware who the driver was.

"Yeah...Yeah sure." mumbling.

"Huh?" Alice said/asked.

"Yeah, sure, I said." Max replied a little snappy but quietly.

"Oh" Alice got a closer look at him."Max? Is that you?"

"Oh...Uh, hey Alice." Max mumbled

"Do you wanna do something after?" Alice asked cheerfully.

"Uh, um, I donno..."

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Max lied

"Well, if it's nothing the lets do something. I really wanted to had out but you had to go last night. So please"

Max knew he wasn't getting out of this but he also knew that he didn't want to be alone with her because they'd start talking

about feelings and shit.

"Fine..." Max whined "But I'm supposed to go to my sisters house so you can just come along"

"Great!" Alice said enthusiastically "But right now im supposed to go to work."

"Oh, well im supposed to get off work in 5 minutes. So... I guess I could just go to work with you. As long as you don't take

long." Max checked.

"It's what? 4 now? I'll try to be done by 5"

"Alright, fine." Max smiled.

They went inside the pet shop.

Max didn't hate animals, he just never had interest in them. His dad was allergic and his mom hated them on the furniture so

max was never aloud any anyway.

But max had a great time. He played with all the old dogs no one liked or pet the cats when everyone played with the kittens.

He felt sorry for them. They had to be in cages being poked and stared at every day. He let 1 or 2 out at a time when it

wasn't busy in the shop. While he played with the animals he'd watch Alice work. He had only known her for about 24 hours

yet he felt so close to her. He didn't know what to do or what to think. Why had she invited him to the party or asked him to

do something now?

"Hey, um Alice?" Max called to her, while walking to put the kittens back in their cage.

"Yeah?" She said popping her head from the other room.

"Why did you invite me to the party last night when your... uh ..." Max hesitated to say it "boyfriend was there?"

"Oh, I didn't know he'd be there because he's always on business and he said he had to leave that afternoon, but he left this

morning instead." She explained. "I was so happy when he didn't have to leave, then you guys could meet but you had to

go."

"Oh...Alright." Max said quietly.

Max called Lucy to let her know they were coming

They joked around a bit, laughed and had a good time. Then 5 rolled around and they left for Jude and Lucy's .The walk was

fairly short from Molly's. Max talked mostly about Jude and Lucy. When they got there Max knocked once and walked right in.

"Hey!" He yelled through the apartment.

"Hey!" Jude yelled back. Lucy walked into the kitchen."we've been waiting" Lucy complained to Max. "Come in. Come in." She

waved her hand at Alice.

"Thank- you." Alice replied as she walked in.

They all went into the living room.

"So what are we going to order?" Jude asked.

"Alice this is Jude and Lucy. Guys this is Alice."

"Hey." Jude said.

"Hello."Lucy followed.

"Hey." Said Alice.

"Oh, and I'm fine with pretty much anything, ordering wise." said Max.

"Hmm...I donno I felt kind of like something, flavourful." Replied Lucy. "What about you, Alice?"

"Um, I just want something with meat"

"Well then, pizza and wings?" Jude said smiling.

So they all ate, talked, laughed and had a good time. After max and Jude went into the living room and Lucy did dishes. Alice

stayed in the kitchen, helping and talking to Lucy.

"So, are you and Max like...uh...together?"Lucy asked awkwardly.

"No, I have a boyfriend" Alice answered.

"Does he know that?"

"Yeah! Why?"

"Oh, it's just cause he never acts like this, well not lately at least. The only girls he ever has are 1 night stands and it's been

that way for a long time. He didn't leave any hints or anything that, that pattern was going to change. So it's just that he

must really, really like you."

"Oh." Alice got silent.

"Yeah."Lucy said.

"We...well what should I do?" Asked Alice a little scared now.

"I don't really know..." Answered Lucy.

"Well, how does he normally act?"

Lucy told Alice about Max and how he acted before the war.

"Wait! Max was in the war?!"

"Yeah! Yeah! He didn't tell you? Well it totally changed him...

She told Alice how Max didn't let anyone in anymore. How he just had a different girl every weekend. She told Alice pretty

much everything she knew about Max. She knew she shouldn't have but it just kept spilling out.

At the end all Alice she could say was...

"whoa."

"Yeah."

But by the time they were done the dishes were too. They went into the living room and watched the news a bit. Then Alice,

feeling awkward, said she had to go.

"Let me walk you home." Max offered.

Alice looked at Lucy.

"Um, no I'll be ok." Alice said trying not to lead Max any further than she already had.

"No, really it's fine." Max stood up.

"Uh, well " Alice grabbing her sweater now. "I'll be making a few stops. So" Now leaving the room. "I'll just go alone." She left

in a hurry to avoid any more debating with Max.

Alice walked fast and hard. She started crying a little. She didn't know why, she just felt bad inside. She was normally a happy

person where things couldn't get her down and could always look on the bright side. But right then she just cried. People

would look at her concerned on the street but she didn't notice them. It started to rain. It was only drizzling but she seamed

to be soaked. She went into a park and sat down at a bench. She just sat... soaked... confused... and crying.

She didn't know why she was crying but tears were streaming down her face. She didn't know what she was looking at but

she was staring out into space.


	6. You've Got To Hide Your Love Away

Alice woke up alone the next morning because Billy was still away on business. She wasn't as perkey as she normally was.

Usually, she would dance around and burst out laughing at herself. But today she judt walked around aimlessly, not really

sure of what to do. Billy was supposed to come home that night, but until then she had nothing to do because she wasn't

supposed to work. She sat on the couch reading the newspaper and decided to go for a walk.

Lucy told max why Alice did and said what she did what she had the night before. Max still didn't really understand. He

couldn't. He was so confused and ,messed up that he didn't want to understand.

It was 8:30 ish and Max had work at 4 pm. He wasn't hungry and he didn't have to go to the bathroom, so he just laid in bed

for as long as he could. He laid there thinking. Not really fully conscious. He just looked around and every now and then would

change position and look at something else. He snapped out of it around 1 and realized he had to get groceries.

Since they lived in the same neighbor hood, Alice and Max shopped at the same stores. They both went to get groceries at

the same place.

Max felt like he wasn't really there. He walked where his brain said to go because he had not thoughts. He just went down

the isles and got what he needed.

Alice was getting the usual, healthy foods, as much meat as she was aloud, a lot of fruit, that kind of thing. She walked by the

cereal isle and saw max. She didn't call him over or say anything. She just followed him trying to be un-noticed.

He seamed like a ghost. His body was in the store but his mind had left long ago. He just walked and stared off into space.

Alice remembered everything that Lucy had said. But Alice also remembered how happy Max was when she had been around.

She had decided to watch Max a nit longer, keeping her distance.

Alice knew it was time to go, but she couldn't stop watching. She seamed to be drawn to him. There was just something

about him.

Max went to check out.

"Your total is 78. 31, sir." The lady at the register said.

Max looked in his pockets and saw that he only had a fifty dollar bill. "Oh, I'll just go put some things back" Max muttered.

Max walked away. Alice ran up to the lady and left 30 bucks."Here, that's for him" she said and left, she had already paid.

"Uh, okay?" The Lady said suprised. "Uh, sir. SIR!"she yelled. "Come back."

Max turned around slowly and walked back, nervous.

"Uh, yeah?"

"You don't have to return anything. That lady just left you some money"Max knew it was Alice from her light brown hair.

"Oh, okay." Max mumbled surprised

"Do you know her?" The lady asked, making small talk, while ringing things in.

"Uh, yeah. Yeah I do."Max grabbed his bags and headed for home. On his way he thought:

'Why would she do that for me?'

'How did she know how much I needed?'

'How long was she watching me?'

'Was she following me?'

As soon as Max ended that thought, he looked around him to see if she was anywhere. By the time he was done thinking he

was at home. He put the groceries away and went to work.


	7. I Should Have Known Better

**Short chapter i know...**

Alice went home to find Billy sitting on the couch.

"And where were you?" He asked joking suspiciously.

"Just getting groceries, don't freak or anything" she giggled.

"Hmm, well why shouldn't I freak out? A beautiful girl like you, going into a store where there could be plenty of

impressionable men"Bill Joked.

"Yeah, yeah..." Alice said.

"What's wrong"Bill asked. Neither of them joking anymore.

"Nothing" Alice answered insincerely.

"Alright. I'll let this go for now" he said bringing back a joking feeling, although Alice wasn't joking. Billy walked into the

kitchen. "So what did you get?"

"Uh, healthy shit, tofu..and some bacon" She said quietly.

"Alice."He said sternly. "I thought you said you were going to be a vegetarian. If your going to be one, you have to eat like a

vegie constantly, you can't slip in meat here and there."

"I know! I know! But it's just so hard! I love bacon!"

"How can you call it bacon?!You burn it to a crisp until its practically black!"

"I just like it that way" Alice defended herself.

"How can you like it any way. It's like taking a person and eating it. Pigs have feelings too, just like us."

"Yes, I know. I have no other option though for healthy eating that I enjoy. And why do you care! It's my life! My eating

choices! Does it really matter?!"

"I guess not. It's just that you said you were going to go vegie and now your not. You should stick by what you say, that's all.

We've only been living together for a month now and your already not sticking by things."

"What is that supposed to mean?! It's my LIFE!" Alice yelled. She calmed herself down. "Okay, your right. Its only been about

a month and we're fighting about dumb things like this stuff. I think this is just not working."

"Is this about Max. Because I'm not blind. It was pretty obvious that he likes you."

"NO! No this is not about Ma..." Alice trailed off and started to think.

"See! I knew it! It is about him!"

"NO IT ISN'T!" she lied. " If I had never even met max this would still be happening! It has nothing to do with him!"

"If you say so" Billy said sarcastically. "At least now I can find some one vegie."

"Yeah. See look at the good points. You can be free to your own bed again. No more being squished together."

Billy laughed. "That's what I'm going to miss the most about you Alice, how you were always so optimistic."

It was silent for a few minutes. The starting of pouring rain broke the silence. "Well, this is awkward. I have to go now." Alice

said thinking.

"Alright." Billy said wondering why.

Right before Alice left she remembered to ask: "Oh Yah! Can I still live here? You know, like until I figure something else."

"Yeah , sure."

Alice was in her white dress. She grabbed her brown hoodie and ran out the door, on her way to Max's.


End file.
